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LOCAL SHORTSTOP DRAFTED BY TORONTO BLUE JAYS |
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Written by Jack Borenstein
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
TORONTO – Shortstop Maxx Tissenbaum was among eight Canadian-born players drafted June 11-12 in the Major League Baseball Amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was selected in the 43rd round.
It’s just another indication of the impression the 17-year-old switch-hitting shortstop from North York has had on local and national baseball teams to date.
When last conversing with him a year ago, Tissenbaum was competing to earn a roster spot on the Canadian team participating in the World Championships.
He did not make that squad but finished his 2008 season with the Under-18 Toronto Mets of the Premier Baseball League of Ontario (PBLO), helping them win their second straight Canadian Midget Baseball Championship.
Tissenbaum has committed to attending Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY, this September. He received 30 offers, then narrowing them down to five or six.
“My mom and I checked out NCAA and USA Today web sites for high-quality baseball and academic school rankings,” he said. “I visited Stony Brook in early September and met with baseball Head Coach Matt Senk and his assistants, who were very pleasant and friendly towards me. After seeing the physical layout of the university, knowing their academic reputation and how they schedule classes and assignments so as not to interfere in general with practices and games, I verbally committed. I signed the formal Letter of Intent in mid-November and will be majoring in business management.”
Besides participating in one-week Team Canada training camps at Disney Wide World of Sports facility last October and this past April, Tissenbaum used Baseball Canada’s workout manual for “weight training and running in order to get bigger, stronger and faster.”
Tissenbaum helped York Mills Collegiate Titans baseball team win the Prentice Cup Qualifier – Christie Division championship, on May 22. He was the winning pitcher and hit a homerun in a 9-8 semifinal win that went 10 innings.
“Winning the title was unexpected and it was exciting going to the OFSAA championships. Titans head coach Mike Doig asked who wanted to help the pitching staff with a number of qualifying games we had to play and I volunteered. I hadn’t pitched since I was 12 or 13. I mixed in some junk and off- speed pitches that my mom taught me. I held Northern to a tie in one inning, in the first qualifier. I earned a two-inning save in our opening win, against King City.”
Tissenbaum was in a car with his family at about 1:30 p.m. on June 11, when the cell phone rang.
“Kevin Briand, Toronto Blue Jays’ director of Canadian scouting, told me I was just selected. I didn’t know what to say at first, as I was freaking excited.
“Mr. Briand told me the team selected four or five Canadians in the latter rounds and expected all of us to play out our season, when we all will be re-evaluated.”
Briand said Tissenbaum is “very mature, has good bat control, can play shortstop or second base and plays the game the right way. Maxx needs to continue playing, work on hitting and get a little stronger. We’ll watch him this summer and inform him of the organization’s plan before Aug. 15, the last day he’s under our exclusive control.”
Tissenbaum recalled after speaking with Briand times spent with “my dad and grandfather watching baseball games at Rogers Centre and having a parent hit out 400 ground balls for three hours a day over the years.”
However, unless he has an unbelievable summer baseball season, he’ll be happy playing NCAA Division I baseball at Stony Brook, “which will improve my mental and physical abilities. Scouts tell me I need to be faster to play middle infield and hit for more power.”
Tissenbaum acknowledged the great assistance and help he has received over the years from the Toronto Mets.
“Without Mets GM John Jepson’s hard work and dedication, I would not have developed as well as I have. Head coach Jason Chee Aloy works four to five hours daily on positioning and has given me specific creative drills to work at home. For example, improving my foot speed using two baseballs in front of our television.”
Jepson commented how hard Tissenbaum has worked the past two years, through physical conditioning and strength.
“He’s a talented ballplayer who understands the game, and his skills have always been there,” Jepson said. “If Maxx attends Stony Brook, he’ll be in a program that will dedicate about 30 hours a week to baseball, along with experienced coaches and exposure to top-quality teams. It will help Maxx improve his overall game. I’ve watched him on Ontario Youth and Canadian National Midget teams, and he has never embarrassed himself when challenged by high-calibre players. I believe he’ll step it up at Stony Brook.”
Tissenbaum is having a stellar season with the Under-18 Mets hitting at a .600 clip.
“I hit my first homerun of the season over the Bond Park right field fence in early June, and it was special.”
His short-term goal is to help the Mets achieve a third straight Canadian Midget National Championship in August in Fredericton.
Jack Borenstein can be emailed at
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 02 July 2009 )
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